Shelter
by Isla Bell
Summary: A slightly different take on the scene between Jake and Sherry in the Cabin leads to the two sharing a few more little heart-to-hearts as they escape J'avo, elude the Ustanak and find themselves holed up in a tight situation or two. Angst/Hurt/Comfort/BondingRomance.
1. Chapter 1

The snow fell thick and fast, the wind hitting the faces of the man and woman struggling to make their way through the snow and toward the small cabin offering the smallest hope of shelter against the rising storm. Jake grabbed a handful of Sherry's coat and dragged her much smaller body through the powdery substance already deep enough to reach the middle of Jake's shins in some places. For a moment he felt her stumble and cursed the fragility of the woman, until the memory of the gaping wound in her back slowly stitching itself closed came to mind. This woman was far from fragile, he reminded himself.

"Almost there..." he called over his shoulder, unsure if she could even hear him. He had to hand it to her though, she kept up with his long strides right up until he kicked the cabin door open and flung them both inside. "All right." he mumbled to himself, quickly moving to the window to make sure they weren't being followed. The storm was bad enough that their tracks had already been covered. It would take a certain type of crazy to keep searching for them in these conditions. Turning his back to the window he spotted Sherry already kneeling by the disused fireplace.

"The wood here is dry enough to start a fire." she informed, "I don't have anything to light it."

Jake rummaged inside the pocket of his coat and pulled out a small, silver lighter. "Your lucky day." he smirked, flicking it open so the tiny flame illuminated Sherry's features just enough for him to catch the withering look she shot him. She took the lighter with a half-hearted "thanks" and turned back to the fireplace. Jake paused, watching her attempt to coax a fire in the freezing room. His eyes travelled over her narrow shoulders, the tiny area of exposed skin on her neck covered in goosebumps from the cold. Then they fell upon the gaping hole in her jacket, stained red with her blood. His fingers twitched as he felt the urge to reach out and run his hand over the flesh he could see between the torn layers of clothing. Had it not been for the tear in those clothes he would have thought he'd imagined that shard of metal speared in her back. Jake had seen some freaky shit in his time, but this softly spoken blonde haired girl was something else. It made him wonder exactly who she was, who had sent her after him.

The smell of burning wood reached him, startling him from his thoughts as Sherry quickly stood and flipped his lighter shut. "Do you think the light will attract anyone?" she asked him, turning to face him before having to jump back as her outstretched palm hit him square in the chest, making the lighter she'd been holding out for him fall to the floor with a clutter. They both stood frozen for a moment as Sherry stumbled back until she was dangerously close to standing directly in the fire she'd just started. Jake shook his head slightly, forcing himself not to roll his eyes at her clumsiness. She was shaken up, he could tell. She was greener then he'd thought. Without a word Jake ducked to pick up the fallen trinket and made his way toward the only piece of furniture in the room, a large wooden table covered in deep groves and scratches. He ran his fingers over its surface. "_Well this is going to be a long night_." he thought idly to himself, aware of Sherry's pacing behind him. The girl needed to relax, he decided.

"So er..." he began lamely, trying to think of things he might have in common with a newbie American agent. "What was that stuff Redfield mentioned to you, about some city?"

Sherry stopped her pacing, yet he noticed her fingers tighten around her crossed arms as she looked at him with disbelief. "You don't know?"

Jake shook his head, "Should I?"

"Raccoon City... it was the start of all this. There was a major outbreak, a lot of people died. But not before..." Sherry's usually bright blue eyes darkened as they took on the look of someone haunted. Her gaze fell upon the snow-covered window before she shrugged. "I was just a kid back then. The monsters that attacked us were like something from a nightmare. And my father..."

Jake felt something shift in the air between them as he words seemed to fail her. "_So much for keeping it light-hearted._" he scolded himself silently. Yet he couldn't help but want to know more as she moved closer to the fire, dropping her arms before reaching up to unzip her jacket. Jake's eyes widened a she slid it from her shoulders until he realised her display was not for him, but so she could inspect the damage to her coat. He realised she would never warm up with such a big hole in the back of it and began looking around the shelves for something that could be used to stitch it together. After opening a few tins and boxes he found a handful of paperclips. "These'll do..." he said to no one in particular. Drawing closer to Sherry he momentarily thought he saw her withdraw from his approach. He ignored it and took the coat from her grip.

"What're you doing?" she asked, confused as he spread it over the table.

"Just give me a minute, okay."

Using his teeth he unbent the paper clip and withdrew a pen knife from his pocket to work the dull end into a sharp enough point to pierce the fabric. Sherry had moved from the fire, her gloved hands wrapped around herself once more as the much thinner fabric of her top did little against the cabin's bitter air. Jake sighed, placing the make-shift needle on the table for a moment he pulled out the loose thread buried in his side pocket before removing his own jacket. He draped it smoothly over Sherry's shoulders without a word and turned back to the job at hand, missing the quizzical yet appreciative look Sherry shot him.

"Thanks..." she mumbled, pulling the heavy jacket tighter around herself. It was warm and smelt like him, a strangely intoxicating scent which made her want to curl up and breathe in deeply. Jake grunted nonchalantly, tying the thread to the paperclip and carefully pulling it through the coat. By the time he was finished the hole was gone. It was far from perfect but it was better than nothing. With a self-indulgent smile he lifted the coat with a flourish and held it aloft for Sherry to inspect, his eyes glittering as if to say "ta dah!"

Sherry couldn't help but smile. "Nice work."

"Thank you, now if you don't mind, it's fucking cold in here." he told her with a nod at his own jacket. Sherry shrugged it off begrudgingly, it was warmer than her own would be and she missed the strange safety its oversized mass gave her almost immediately. Although she did feel bad when she inspected the raised bumps on Jake's exposed arms. Arms that bulged with defined muscle as he swung the jacket around his shoulders and pulled it back on tightly.

"Much better." he told her with a surprisingly warm smile.

"You didn't have to do that for me." Sherry told him, a little embarrassed. She was the one who had been sent to protect him, yet here he was playing nanny and helping her clean up her mess. Jake waved his hand at her remark and shrugged.

"You're no good to me frozen on the side of a mountain."

"Right." Sherry sighed, suddenly remembering the real reason he was here. "You might lose out on your fifty million."

"Your damn straight, babe." he told her unflinchingly, perching himself atop the table and leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees. "But we're going to be stuck here for a while longer. Why don't you finish telling me about yourself."

Sherry almost laughed. It was almost like a line from a date. A bad date. "What do you want to know?" she asked coyly, deciding to go along with the ridiculousness of the situation. There wasn't anything better to do, after all.

"What's your star sign?" Jake asked, his face deadly serious. Sherry raised both her eyebrows, her mouth pursed as she watch him, unimpressed. Jake's face broke into a grin. "No? Okay, favourite colour? Flower? Food? How long you been an agent? How many kills you got under your belt?"

"God Jake..." Sherry suddenly breathed.

"What? Are you ashamed of what you do, Agent Birkin?" Jake pushed. For some reason he suddenly wanted to press all this girls buttons, to see what she really had hidden beneath those big blue eyes and girl-next-door charms.

"Of course not." she snapped, "What about you?"

"Me? I'm a Leo"

Sherry stared at him wide-eyed. "Do you think this is funny?"

Jake made a face as if seriously weighing up the situation, rolling his shoulders as he thought. "Kinda... yeah. I mean what else can you do when the shit hits the fan."

With an impatient shake of her head Sherry rolled her eyes and turned her back, making her way back to the fireplace. She could feel her heart begin to beat a little faster than usual, her blood beginning to grow hot in her veins. What was it about this man that got her so bothered. Was it because of who he was?

"Hey, come on. Don't go all quiet on me. I was just trying to lighten the mood." Jake drawled from behind her. Sherry let out an exasperated huff and glanced over her shoulder. Jake was smiling at her. No, he was _smirking_.

"Don't you realise what's happening out there?" she asked him curtly, "And I don't mean on this mountain. I mean out _there_, in the world. Have you any idea what could happen if this virus gets out of control?"

Jake shrugged, indifferent. "For me, it means I can put my prices up."

His smart remark was enough to have Sherry whip round to face him, her feet moving to close the distance between them as her hand came up, palm open, and made sharp contact with the scarred cheek on Jake Muller's face. The sound of skin on skin echoed around them as Jake swore loudly, pushing himself from the table he forced Sherry to stumble back as she realised what she'd done. She hadn't meant to hit him, well, perhaps she had just a little. But the way he just didn't seem to give a damn about _anything_, not the thousands of people who's lives were at risk. _Millions_ in fact. Sherry forced the shock and horror from her face as Jake looked at her, danger written in every inch of his face as he took one purposeful step forward. It was a move to intimidate, Sherry realised. She stood her ground, lifting her chin in defiance, and held his cold gaze.

Jake's eyes narrowed as he surveyed her. He could see the slight tremble in her hands, but it was quickly controlled. He lifted his hand to his stinging cheek and felt his lips twitch into a small smile. "Didn't think you had it in you, super girl." he told her. Sherry blinked at him.

"You're... not mad?"

Jake snorted. "You think a little slap like that is going to get under my skin? It's good to see you've still got some fight in you. You're going to need it."

Sherry shifted her weight from foot to foot as she tried to figure out what he was saying. "So you didn't mean what you just said, about the money?"

Jake contemplated telling her that, yes, he had meant it. Outbreaks usually meant a huge hike in his asking price, and he always turned a good profit. But somehow he didn't think it would go down too well, and now he knew the girl had some spirit he didn't want to risk pushing her any further. She was his key to fifty million dollars, after all.

"Nah." he told her dismissively, "I'm not that much of an asshole."

He heard the barely concealed huff she tried to muffle and chose to ignore it. What did he care if she thought him a cold-hearted bastard? He'd been called worse by a lot of people. So why had he bothered to lie?

"Look, why don't we get some rest. You sleep first and I'll keep watch." he told her, suddenly tired of talking. He caught the sideways look she gave him, the one that spoke volumes. "What, you think I'm going to take off while you sleep?" he sighed.

Sherry leant her back against the cabin wall and eyed him wearily. "Not exactly."

Jake froze, feeling a coldness sweep through him at her words. Was she really implying what he thought she was implying. Slowly, purposefully, he stepped toward her until they were toe to toe. He placed one hand against the wall beside her head, the other remaining loose at his side. To her credit, Sherry didn't so much as flinch as his eyes bore into hers. "What _exactly_ are you expecting me to do?" he hissed. Sherry tilted her head to one side as he eyes examined his face. She realised just how young he was now she could see him up close, even if his face was half-hidden by the shadows flickering over his features by the light of the fire.

"Nothing." she told him flatly. "But I have a job to do, and that means not letting you out of my sight. So you can stop playing the big tough killer routine and just settle down."

Jake glared. Counting the lingering seconds as he took in every speck of blue in her eyes. He could practically count each of her eyelashes he was so close. "Fine." he sniffed, pulling back. "We need to at least block the door first. Then I'm getting some sleep."

There wasn't much to use, but soon the door and the single window were covered enough that they'd have some warning before anyone tried to get in. True to his word Jake settled down with his back against the wall, close enough to the fire that he could feel its warmth licking at his face and neck. He closed his eyes, gun in hand, and tried to ignore the presence of the other person in the room. He fell into sleep remarkably quickly, but not before his eyes opened for just a second to check on her. To make sure she wasn't the one preparing to pull a gun on him in his sleep. He caught her sitting with her feet tucked beneath her, a hand rubbing at her shoulder. She must have hurt it, he thought to himself before closing his eyes. Remembering the various falls and collisions he'd been through himself in the last few hours he realised she too was bound to have a few knocks and bruises. He felt... oddly bad about. Like he should do or say something to make her feel better.

"_Screw that._" he told himself firmly. "_Don't get yourself tied up with her. She's doing a job, you're earning yourself a nifty little pay-off. That's all it needs to be."_

Jake fell into an uneasy sleep. A voice he knew too well called to him, asking him for help, pleading for him to make the pain go away. In his dream he couldn't figure out why the sallow, sunken face of his sick mother kept shifting. Her long red hair growing shorter, lighter. Green eyes became blue and he saw a much younger woman reaching out to him. She was telling him things, saying things about the world... danger... his blood... as they ran from a horde of unseen creatures.

The only phrase he would be able to recall came to him clearly before he woke up. But it was not the voice of the agent sent for his blood that spoke to him, it was his mother.

_"Only you can save this world, Jake Muller..."_

* * *

Author's Note: So, like most Jake/Sherry shippers, I adored the cabin scene and this is my attempt at putting my own spin on it. There will be more! This fic is slightly AU in the sense that they spend a good few hours stuck together before being attacked. I didn't want to dive right into anything cute and fluffy when there's so much tension that can be built between these two! I hope you enjoyed and would love to hear your thoughts on this scene in the game and my own version. Is there anything you wished had happened between them (kissing and lemons are obvious answers by the way!)?


	2. Chapter 2

Jake woke feeling far more exhausted then when he'd drifted off to sleep... and in a much fouler mood. His shoulders ached and he could feel a slight pounding behind his eyes which told him he had the mother of all headaches on its way. Sighing tiredly he glanced around the cabin. The glow of the fire was still going strong, he couldn't have slept for long.

"How's the storm coming along?" he asked, making Sherry jump as she stared into the orange flames dancing in the fireplace.

"Still bad. Are you okay, you only slept for an hour?" she told him, looking at the watch on her wrist.

Jake shrugged before flexing his shoulders. He felt stiff and uncomfortable sitting against the wall and it was not helping his mood. "I'm just fine."

Sherry didn't respond. She considered mentioning the way he had mumbled in his sleep, his forehead fixing itself into a deep scowl as he slept. Watching the way he rubbed at his bloodshot eyes and glared at the blocked door she guessed it probably wasn't the best time to bring it up. They sat in an uncomfortable silence for several minutes before Jake noisily got to his feet and began pacing the small floor space, his fingers playing with the hilt of his gun while he ran his other hand over the slight stubble appearing on his chin. Sherry chose to ignore him. Her mission had been to keep him alive until he could be handed over to her superiors. It wasn't necessary to try and make friends, and he had made it quite clear that he wasn't interested in anything but money. She just had to get through the next few hours without letting him out of her sight.

"So... what exactly do your bosses want my blood for?" Jake suddenly asked, coming to stop beside the boarded up window and peering through the slight gap. With his back to her Sherry couldn't see the deep frown he wore, nor the way he pressed his fingertips against the growing thumping in his temple.

"I told you," Sherry explained patiently, "your blood carries an anti-body that would create a vaccine against the C-Virus. We could avoid a major outbreak by mass producing it, rather then scrambling to find a cure after the virus kills thousands, maybe even millions, of people."

"Like in Raccoon City?" Jake asked, glancing over his shoulder in time to see Sherry wince at his words.

"Yes. Like Raccoon City."

Once again a silence settled between them. Without knowing why, Jake watched the way Sherry brought her arms up to wrap around herself as she stared hard at the floor. Her eyes filled with shadows not caused by the fire shining light over her soft features. No, these were a different type of shadow. The kind he had seen only a few times before in men, old and young, who'd ever picked up a gun. Looking back to the window he caught sight of his own reflection and stared at the face looking back at him. "I didn't mean to..." he started suddenly, making Sherry lift her eyes to his hunched back.

"Mean to what?" she asked.

Jake shook his head and pushed himself away from the window. Turning, he slumped against the wooden wall and leant his head against its hard surface. "I'm just trying to figure you out," he confessed, "You're pretty young to be in this line of work. You don't seem all that experienced... you're a weird choice to send into the middle of a battlefield like this."

Sherry rose one eyebrow, unsure if he was trying to insult her. From the way he held her gaze, unflinching and unexpressive, she guessed he was merely making an observation. A blunt, somewhat rude observation.

"How old do you think I am?" she asked, trying to direct the conversation to an easier subject.

"I don't know... about my age? Twenty? Twenty-one?"

Sherry couldn't help the wide grin she flashed him as she chuckled softly to herself. "Nope. Try a little higher!"

Jake's eyes widened slightly as his eyebrows rose. "Older? Older then _me_? No way."

Sherry laughed and shrugged, replacing her smile with a look of casual indifference. "Age is just a number. Besides, it's rude to ask a lady how old she is."

"Yeah, I've been told that." Jake mumbled with a roll of his eyes. He couldn't believe the girl was older then him. In his twenty short years he'd easily gathered more real-world experience when it came to monsters and mayhem, but she could hold her own, he'd give her that. "I guess it's your freaky super power that got you the job huh, must come in handy when the bullets start flying." Almost immediately Jake knew he had said the wrong thing, and strangely he felt a stab of regret as Sherry quickly broke the gaze he hadn't even realised they'd been holding.

"Mm-hm." Sherry responded, shifting her weight off her legs to bring them up in front of her she linked her arms together around her knees and returned her attention to the fire. Behind her Jake mentally slapped himself. He hadn't _meant_ to imply she was a freak... it just came out that way.

Jake found himself making his way toward her and settled himself down just an arms-reach from her side, stretching one leg straight out in front while the other came to rest on his knee. "Look, I didn't mean to sound like such an asshole. Don't get me wrong, it _was_ kind of gross and creepy seeing you survive being near cut in half..."

Sherry shot him a cold look. "Is this meant to be an apology? Because it sucks."

Jake tapped his fingers against his knee and thought. Was he apologising? That didn't sound like him at all. Why the hell did he care if he hurt this woman's feelings. A woman he'd known less then twelve hours. "Whatever." he shrugged, "I'm just saying."

This time it was Sherry's turn to roll her eyes. She didn't get him. Not at all. Within the first few seconds of their meeting he had fled a group of angry looking J'avo, leaving her to stop the oncoming slaughter before diving to safety herself down that beat up trash chute. He hadn't seemed to care she could have been torn to pieces, nor that she'd landed in a crumbled heap on the floor. The guy was no gentleman, that was for sure. Yet he seemed to making some kind of effort to... what? Talk to her? Get to know her?

Most would have assumed he was trying to find a way to secure his fifty million. But Sherry Birkin, as she carefully managed to sneak a sideways glance at Jake's half-hidden face, was one of the few with the natural talent of seeing deeper into people. Her troubled past had forced her to grow up very quickly, which also meant she'd learned to understand the nature of people from an unsually young age.

"I don't think you're an asshole." she blurted.

Jake couldn't help the small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. Mostly because hearing her swear like that was like hearing a child curse. Amusing and wrong at the same time. "No? You don't even know me."

Sherry dipped her head in agreement, finally loosening the grip around her knees to bring her fingers into her lap where she wound them tightly together. "You're not exactly Mr Charming but... I've met worse people then you." she finished lamely.

Knowing it would piqué his interest Sherry waited for Jake's inevitable question. She had no doubt he was already wondering who she might have crossed paths with worse then a mercenary.

As predicted, Jake cleared his throat and spoke. "Oh yeah?"

Sherry let her eyes close for a moment, feeling fatigue begin to come over her. She was right. For all Jake's bravado and smart-mouthed comebacks... he hid a very low opinion of himself beneath that devil-may-care attitude.

"Yeah. A long time ago."

Jake waited. He would not pursue an answer, clearly he had already expressed too much interest in this woman's life to have her think he actually cared. Still, it was steadily becoming obvious that Sherry Birkin was not all she seemed.

The atmosphere in the cabin was quickly changing. The impassive silence between them was becoming more... comfortable. Comfort_ing_ almost. Jake pondered the strange events that had led him here so far. That morning he'd woken to a hail of bullets and spent his day fighting his way through BOW's until his unit had been approached by a woman looking to sell what she claimed would "_give them a rush like no other_." Jake had never been partial to drug use, but they were getting their asses backed into a corner and the guys he was with were beginning to loose their cool. It had been their decision to dose up... and they had mutated into the creatures that had been trying to kill them. Ironic.

His instinct on the woman had been right. She had been up to something... and he bet it wasn't just to infect his unit and bring down militia numbers. Jake guessed she had nothing to do with the Edonian government they were hired to fight against.

A voice suddenly brought him out of his thoughts. "Jake?"

Sherry was looking at him with a slight frown on her face, concern glinting in those big blue eyes. Jake tore his eyes away. He didn't want to see the worry there, for some reason it bugged him. "What?" he snapped. Sherry seemed to fidget a little, her fingers twisting in her lap as she tried her best to hold the mans steely gaze.

"I... owe you an apology."

Jake's brows shot up. "Why?" he asked, genuinely confused. What had she been keeping from him now, he wondered?

"For what I said before... about the whole sleeping thing. I wasn't implying I didn't trust you or anything..."

A light pink flush had begun to spread over Sherry's cheeks which had nothing to do with the heat of the fire. Jake let his eyebrows return to their usual position and stifled a small laugh. She really thought he cared about that? Not that he appreciated the insinuation that he might take advantage of her, Jake had never hurt a woman in his life... well, only those who'd begged him to. With that thought Jake leant forward a little, almost halving the space between them. Sherry went very still as his eyes locked onto hers and an unreadable smile spread over his lips. He suddenly radiated an almost predatory aura and she wondered if bringing up that particular conversation had been such a good idea.

"Just so we're clear, if I was going to do anything to you - be it murder or anything else - you'd be awake and you'd have a fighting chance against me. I'm a mercenary, not a cold-blooded killer."

Sherry tried to hide the surprise which would otherwise be written all over her face. From the briefing she'd been given she had been led to believe this man would be capable of just about anything. His first known kill had been in his mid-teens after all. Sherry hesitated, trying to figure out exactly what it was she was trying to say to him. For all the things he'd done, and she was sure there was plenty more not on record too, she didn't find him particularly intimidating. Even as he held himself between them, clearly trying to dominate the space keeping them apart, Sherry could see something hidden deep in his determined gaze.

"I know you're not." she told him flatly.

Her response was enough to have Jake pull back a little. Not only had she just told him she trusted him, in a backwards kind of way, but here she was thinking she actually knew him. What he was capable of. Who the hell was this woman?

"You're reckless, hot-headed and kind of arrogant... but we all have our faults." she continued with a shrug.

"Perhaps yours is that you're too trusting... or just niave." Jake offered his own assessment with indifference, yet inside he could feel himself beginning to relax with this woman. He was taken aback when Sherry laughed coldly and nodded her head in agreement. Jake felt the urge to let out an exasperated sigh. He had the feeling she was getting to know a lot more about him then he was about her... and that was beginning to annoy him. Especially when he realised he was the one giving away his life story when he didn't have a clue about hers. "So tell me more about Raccoon City." he told her, his voice demanding as if trying to coax the truth from a dishonest child. Sherry shook her head with a wry smile, she'd been expecting more questions about her past. It was something she never discussed with anyone except Claire. Even when she had been questioned by the various doctors and officials who were supposed to be taking care of her she'd never gone into great detail. Yet, sitting in front of a slowly dwindling fire on the side of a snow-covered mountain that was bound to soon be swarming with J'avo... she decided to be honest.

"I was just a kid, twelve years old, when it happened. But I can remember it all like it was yesterday..."

Jake had listened to her story in silence. In his mind's eye he could see this woman as a little kid, cowering from the monsters she'd probably only thought existed in horror stories, hungry for her flesh and unwavering in their desire to consume her.

She'd spoken without tears or sorrow in her voice, as if reciting an old tale she'd once heard. The only time Jake thought he'd heard any real emotion had been when she'd mentioned her parents. His heart had skipped a beat for some reason when she had, his own shadow of sadness swimming to the surface before being pushed back down with well practised skill.

"So you escaped all that just to be locked up and experimented on for the rest of your life." Jake stated with disbelief. The Edonian government had been well known for its desire to keep its people living in a state of poverty and fear, but Jake found the idea of a government wearing the face of a friend to its people while secretly performing abominations like this... torturing a helpless little girl...

Jake shook his head to clear the image from his mind. "But you're working for them, right?" he asked.

Sherry nodded slowly. "They made me an offer... they'd let me live a normal life as much as possible, but they still needed to keep me under surveillance. So they gave me a job."

"The put you in the firing line," Jake corrected her, his voice laden with an anger he didn't quite understand, "They're using you."

Sherry avoided his gaze and began to chew nervously on her lower lip. She knew it, had known it the moment they offered her the very thought of more freedom. But it had been the price she had to pay. And she could do some good, like she was now. Jake's blood would save countless lives, and that would be down to her keeping him safe.

"You almost sound like you care." Sherry told him quietly, hoping the realisation would stop him chasing the subject.

Jake slammed his hand hard on the floor, making Sherry jump. His expression was dark, filled something dangerous and threatening. "Is that what they're going to do to me too, huh? Lock me up like a test rat?

Sherry scoffed, pulling herself to her feet she stood over Jake with her hands planted firmly on her hips. "That's all you care about, what's going to happen to _you_?"

Jake blinked up at her. Yes. Yes he did not want to go walking like a fool into the hands of a bunch of narcissistic scientist types waiting to poke and prod at him for the rest of his life. But that wasn't the only reason for his rage. This woman was smart. Sure she'd been handed a shitty lot in life, Jake could relate to that. But here she was just... just _taking_ it. Jumping to his own feet Jake met her hard stare with his own and filled the gap between them so that the finger he pointed at her was almost touching the tip of her nose. "You've got the chance to do anything you want, you could run. Find some place to lay low and take control of your own damn life-"

Sherry swatted his hand away with the back of her own and clenched her fists. "Maybe. But then what? Where will I go when the C-Virus starts to infect the planet Jake? It might not kill me, it might not affect me at all, but when this world is full of mutants and monsters I think I just might regret not doing anything I could to stop it from happening."

"Even if it means giving up your own life, your freedom to do what you want with it?" Jake shot back. Her nobility and loyalty was ridiculous in his eyes. "What happens after? Do you go back to your cage where they turn you into even more of a freak!"

It took all of Sherry's control not to hit him again, and Jake could see it written all over her face. He didn't care. If the girl was stupid enough to let someone walk all over her like they did it then maybe he'd been putting a little too much faith in her.

"_They_ didn't turn me into a freak." Sherry told him, her voice shaking as much as he balled up fists. "If you had listened to what I'd told you then you'd understand... it was my father. My father did this to me... it wasn't his fault exactly but..."

Jake frowned. Was she trying to tell him her father, the man involved in the G-Virus development, had experimented on her too? No... she'd used the word _infected _when she'd told him what happened...

"Your father mutated too..." he realised. Sherry nodded.

"Those friends I told you about, they saved me. Gave me the cure before it was too late but... the virus still changed me."

Jake had lowered his hand as Sherry spoke. She may have escaped the City, the nightmare, but she was still scarred by it. Could he really blame her for wanting to stop it from happened again? Perhaps he was wrong... just because he had lived by his own selfish impulse of self-preservation since his mother had died didn't make it the right way to live. Here was someone who had taken the crappy hand given to her and moulded it into something she could live with. Even do some good with.

Jake didn't say anything when Sherry turned her back and walked away, only able to reach the furthest side of the room and put some space between the two of them. Jake ran his hand over his short hair and took a deep breath. He was not used to having to be humble, but he would give it a shot. "I'm sorry I flipped out on you." he began, probably not sounding quite as genuine as he felt. Sherry's back shrugged at him from across the room. Jake rolled his eyes to the ceiling and sighed. "I mean it. What I said... that was my shit I was talking about. I just... it bothers me to see someone being weak-" He held his hand up as Sherry spun and opened her mouth to argue. "Which I know you're not _now_. If anything you're... hell, you're a lot stronger then I am. If I were you I'd have gotten my ass someplace hot and sunny to live out the rest of my life."

Sherry's furious expression melted into mild bewilderment as he spoke before softening a little. Her eyes still glowering with irritation until he raised both hands, palms open in a surrendering gesture, and tried to smile.

"Sorry."

Sherry bit the inside of her lip and contemplated staying mad at him. Even as she considered it she could feel the animosity slowly begin to melt away as she nodded her head in acceptance of his apology and glanced about the cabin, unsure of what to do next.

"How about we forget this whole conversation and start again," Jake offered, lowering his hands he offered one out to her ready to shake, "Hey, I'm Jake. And apparently my blood can save the world."

Sherry stared for a moment before smiling dryly and slowly moving back toward him. She took his hand firmly, her eyes boring into his as they held the shake for a few long, silent moments.

"I'm Sherry Birkin. I'm going to save _you_."

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the Resident Evil franchise.


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm Sherry Birkin. I'm going to save _you_."

Jake couldn't help the sharp laugh that escaped him in the face of her audacity. "Save me huh? I'm not used to playing the damsel in distress, but all right."

Sherry's smile beamed at him as the tension that had been between them from the moment they met began to disappear. It hadn't even been noticed until Jake looked down at his hand and realised it was still tightly clasped around Sherry's. His mind told him to pull away from her grip. It was _weird_, he thought, he was just standing there holding onto some girl's hand...

Except that Sherry had noticed too... and she wasn't letting go either.

Jake was no stranger to situations like these, and yet the moment felt completely alien to him. He hadn't had any interest in this woman besides the fifty million promised to him. Well, perhaps that wasn't entirely true. He'd certainly noticed the way her legs seemed to stretch on forever and may have imagined how they might feel wrapping themselves around his waist. Just once or twice. So why he just stood there, staring back at her without a smart-mouthed remark or smooth chat-up line ready to fall from his lips, he couldn't quite figure out. It was as if their little truce had taken him off guard for a moment, leaving him vulnerable to feeling something... new.

It was Sherry who moved first. Her shoulders rose as she took in a slow, unsteady breath which caused her pink lips to open just slightly so Jake could imagine what it might taste like to slide his tongue between them. Her eyes, shining a little more brightly than normal, suddenly moved from his face and darkened into a confused frown as they travelled to the door.

That was when Jake heard it too. Footsteps, careful and light outside the door. He barely had a moment to think when he tightened his hold on Sherry's hand and pulled her against him, wrapping an arm tightly around her shoulders they spun just in time for him to cover her from the blast from the side-wall being blown from the cabin. Wood and smoke-filled the room, hitting Jake's back and stinging the his throat as he waited just a few seconds before snatching his gun from his side and turning to open fire. Sherry had already followed his lead. Together they took down the first rush of J'avo with Sherry still sheltered beneath Jake's wide shoulders. She glanced up and waited for his signal. The table was quickly overturned, offering enough cover for Jake to pull a grenade from his belt and pull the pin with his teeth.

"Down!" he bellowed as he released the explosive into the snow. Bracing themselves they ran through the aftermath, firing rapidly at what was left of their attackers.

"Um... Jake...!" Sherry cried over her shoulder. Jake spun, expecting to see her overwhelmed by enemies, only to find her staring wide-eyed at a huge, white tide of snow quickly gaining speed as it travelled down the mountain... and straight toward them.

"Go!" Jake commanded, grabbing Sherry by the hand and dragging her toward the single snow-mobile that had survived his grenade. Jumping on he felt Sherry slide on behind him and take a firm hold if his middle. Kicking the vehicle to life he charged as quickly from the cabin as it would allow, easily dodging the confused and separated J'avo still attempting to capture them.

"I don't think this is a good idea!" he heard Sherry shriek behind him.

A dark scowl furrowed his brow. "You got a better one!?"

"It's just going to keep coming, we need to get to higher ground!"

Jake hissed under his breath. There was no way they could find safe ground in time... unless...

"Hold on!" he shouted over his shoulder before veering sharply to the side. He could see something in the distance, a dark opening in the mountain's side.

"Jake, what're you-"

"Just trust me, okay!"

Jake hit the throttle, trying to ignore the sharp sting of the cold air on his face and exposed fingertips. He remembered these mountains well. The tunnels had been set up to carry less-then-legal weaponry into the country for the militia. If he was right about their location, the tunnel should take them to a town on the other side... else they were going to end up a sticky red paste on the side of the mountain, but he decided that was the sort of thing best _not_ to mention to Sherry for the time being. Perhaps _after_ she'd thanked him for saving their lives.

The mountain grew closer, and so did the avalanche. Jake grit his teeth and prayed to any and all entities that he had called out to in times of pleasure and pain in his life as he begged for just a few more seconds... just a little further...

The snow-mobile hit a patch of ice hidden by the cave's shadows, spinning wildly out of control just as they made it through the entrance. Jake cursed, trying to pull the thing back into control. The back-end hit the wall, throwing them in a wide circle and tossing each passenger to the hard ground in a messy heap of tangled limbs before stuttering once, twice... and then dying completely.

Jake opened his eyes. He had managed to dive as they'd been thrown, taking Sherry with him while she clung to his back. He could feel her carefully moving off him, breathing shakily as she placed a hand on his shoulder and helped him turn. Jake moaned loudly. Everything was beginning to hurt, he decided. But he couldn't feel anything broken or missing, so he'd take it as a win for the day and be grateful.

"Are you all right?" he heard Sherry ask breathlessly.

Jake nodded, wincing when his neck and shoulders protested against the move. "Maybe a little whiplash. Jesus..."

Sherry placed a hand around his chest and helped him sit up against the cold cave wall before flicking on the light of her ear piece. "Sorry," she muttered, as Jake blinked in the sudden glow now beaming at his face. "You've got a nasty gash to your head... can you move everything okay?"

Jake wiggled both feet and nodded. "Check. Can't you dim that thing?"

"No, but here..." Sherry fumbled with the tiny machine and pulled it from her ear. Placing it on the ground, its light shone just enough for them too properly see each other. Sherry had already removed her gloves and was carefully trying to clean the blood Jake now realised was streaming down his cheek and onto his jacket.

"Damn..." he grumbled, his fingers coming up to inspect the damage, only for Sherry to swat them away.

"Don't touch it, your hands are filthy."

Jake rolled his eyes, "All right _mother_. I can deal with a little graze you know." Honestly, he was nearly as annoyed at the idea of being nursed by the frustratingly uninjured woman before him.

"It looks like it might need stitches. Shame you don't still have your needle and thread." Sherry told him curtly, pressing the piece of cloth she'd been using against the wound and placing Jake's own hand over the top. "Press and hold. You know the drill. That's enough Doctor Sherry for now I think."

"I much prefer Nurse Sherry." Jake tried to grin, only for said "nurse" to shoot him a slightly harassed look before shaking her head tolerantly as she pulled out her phone.

"The entrance is blocked by the avalanche. Do you even know where these tunnels lead? I can't get the GPS on my phone to work."

Jake nodded. The tunnels had been used exactly for that reason. No communication could get in or out, so if you didn't know the place like the back of your hand you probably weren't getting out before you froze to death. It kept their stash of guns and money pretty safe. "Yeah. We follow this tunnel for about half a mile and then it splits off. You go right from there."

Sherry slid her phone back in her pocket, looking tired for the first time since they'd met. "Half a mile? That's not too bad."

Jake pulled the cloth from his head and inspected the large red stain already soaking through before decided to break the bad news. "It's more then half a mile super girl..."

Sherry watched with hesitant eyes. "More?"

"Yep. I guess we should get mo...ving..."

Sherry quickly shot forward as Jake attempted to bring himself to his feet, only to sway and fall back against the wall whilst almost hitting the back of his head against its rough surface. Her arms wrapped themselves around his chest and pulled him away from the concussion he was about to give himself, only to pull her off-balance and send her tumbling ungraciously into his lap. Jake jumped at the writhing heap clambering over his knees, a little offended when Sherry practically threw herself across the cave to get away from him. He rose and eyebrow at her dishevelled state as her pinks turned pink enough even for him to see in the limited light of her ear-piece.

"You okay?" he asked, trying to sound amused.

Sherry nodded and dusted herself off as nonchalantly as possible. "Of course. I was just worried about hurting something."

Jake stared before chuckling to himself. The girl was so repressed, he'd decided. It was almost fun to watch as she waited for him to make another attempt to stand and hesitantly held out her hand. Jake waved her away, managing to make it too his feet while only feeling a little woozy.

"Perhaps you should take point." he suggested.

Sherry shook her head. "I'd rather not have you behind me... with a gun, I mean." she almost stammered. Jake had to fight to hide the smirk. _Something_ had gotten under her skin, that was for sure.

"Of course. What else would I be doing behind you?" he asked innocently.

Sherry picked up her ear-piece and reattached it without replying, yet the stiffness of her shoulders and the sudden formality in her voice told Jake she knew what he was implying. "Let's go. We're wasting time."

Jake gestured with his hand for her to pass and tried to smile as politely as possible. "After you, Agent Birkin."

Sherry passed, almost breaking into a run as she did so. Jake let her gain a little space between them before following and tried to keep his eyes fixed on the small orb of light leading the way, contemplating on why he had decided to tell Sherry to turn right at the tunnels end when the left turn would lead them to the nearest town in almost half the time...

* * *

A/N: I planned the leave chapter two as the end but... here we are! I blame the wonderful reviews and I think there may be a chapter four...

Disclaimer: I do no own any rights to the RE franchise.


	4. Chapter 4

Sherry felt her fingers tighten around her gun. Her nerves were beginning to feel worn and ragged as she and Jake slowly made their way through the seemingly never-ending tunnels. From behind her Jake offered a few instructions whenever they approached a turning point or particularly treacherous area to navigate their way through. She had to admit his memory of the tunnels was impressive. Without the small light of her ear-piece she wouldn't have known up from down in the darkness.

"All right, now put your hand against the wall just in front of you. You'll feel it smooth out in a few moments..."

Sherry did as she was told. Beneath her gloved hand she felt the rough teXture catch and snag on the material before suddenly stopping and flattening out. "Now wha-" she began, only for her feet to suddenly slip from beneath her and send her crashing to the floor. Her lower half hit the ground with a thud, her head snapping back to follow had it not been for the hands that shot out and wrapped themselves tightly around her shoulders. Sherry cursed as her heart began to race.

"Careful. It gets icy along here." Jake chuckled, close enough that the hot air of his breath tickled Sherry's cheek.

Opening eyes she hadn't even realised she'd closed, Sherry looked up at Jake's amused expression. For a second she thought she saw a genuine smile on his lips before it melted into his usual arrogant smirk. She glared.

"You could have warned me!"

Jake rose an eyebrow at her, his mouth thinning slightly. "I just did. And you're welcome, by the way."

Sherry supressed the grumble rising in her throat as Jake lifted her with frightening ease and set her back on her feet. Trying to regain some dignity Sherry studied the ground in front of them. Silvery-white patches of ice twinkled back at her in the gloom. "Isn't there another way?" she asked hopefully.

Jake shook his head. "I'm taking us the safest route. Unless you want to dig your way through rubble." He pointed ahead of them, "We had to collapse some of the tunnels once."

"BOW's?" Sherry ventured a guess. Jake shook his head.

"Nope."

Something cold made its way through Sherry's stomach as she imagined what may lay crushed beneath the heavy rock of the blocked tunnels. Shaking the image from her head, and the thought that the man behind her was callous enough to commit another man to such a death, Sherry moved forward. Carefully. She did not want to slip and fall... nor did she want to ever feel Jake's hands on her again.

He must have sensed her sudden shift in mood since Jake left much more space between the his body and hers as they ventured on. He couldn't, however, keep his curiosity at bay. "You ever killed anyone yet?" he asked bluntly.

Sherry almost spun on the spot to face him before her boots nearly slipped on a hidden patch of ice. Instead she glared at him darkly and shook her head. "Not people. J'avo... BOW's..."

"_Used_ to be people." Jake pointed out.

Sherry forced herself to ignore the tightening of her throat as, against her will, the image of her father flashed before her eyes. "I kill when I have to." she somewhat lamely fought back.

Jake slowly shook his head. "You should, you know. Kill a person, just to see what it's like-"

This time Sherry did spin on the spot, only to find herself being firmly taken by the shoulders and pressed against the cold, wet wall of the cave. Jake cut her off before she could protest and brand him the psychopath he was beginning to sound like.

"To _understand_ death." he continued, "It's not like in the movies. One quick stab, a bullet piercing skin and muscle and bone and then its lights out. Dying can take forever, even when it's just a few moments. If you're willing to do that to another person you need to let yourself _feel_ it."

Sherry blinked at Jake's partially shadowed face, his eyes dull and dark enough that the blue-grey hue seemed almost black.

"Trust me." she said slowly, purposefully, "I understand what dying feel like."

The smile on Jake's lips was cold and lifeless. "No you don't. What can kill you?"

His fingers softened their grip and let go, leaving a strange tingling where his hands had been. Sherry blinked up at him as he stepped back, regarding her with a closed expression. "You got no right to judge me, or what I do." he said flatly before turning on his heel and disappearing into the darkness.

Sherry watched him go wordlessly. Even as her heart began to settle back into its normal rhythm she realised it's quickening pace had not been from fear when he'd held her and stared so intensely into her eyes. Pushing herself away from the wall Sherry followed, unsure of why she felt better about closing the gap between them now.

"Is it much further?" she asked quietly.

"Why? Don't like being stuck underground with someone like me?" Jake shot back, his voice lined with disdain. Sherry pursed her lips until his words sank in.

"We're underground?" she stammered, lifting her head to look at the ceiling which dripped occasionally on her head. She shivered, suddenly feeling much more claustrophobic. Now that she thought about it she recalled a significant period of time when the two had been walking at a slight tilt, but she hadn't realised it had taken them so far down.

"Uh huh. Relax, not far now. And look forward dammit, I can't see a thing." Sherry did as she was told, her light illuminating Jake's large back and throwing his shadow against the path in front of them. "It gets worse along here, hold onto me if you have to. I can't catch you from here."

Remaining silent Sherry did her best to keep herself on her feet, but as they continued she came to accept that holding onto Jake was the only way she was going to keep her balance. Her hand shook slightly when she reached out and took a fistful of his thick coat. "Won't you fall too?" she asked, grateful when he slowed his pace for her to keep up even when it meant she almost walked full on into the back of him.

He snorted, "Don't worry about me, I'm built like a tank."

Behind him Sherry rolled her eyes. "Fine. I won't."

The tension steadily rising between the two of them settled into semi-comfortable silence. Sherry felt strangely guilty as she regarded Jake's hunched shoulders. She had every right to be disgusted by his stance on what was clearly murder... except perhaps she didn't know the circumstances surrounding the collapsed in tunnels. Wetting her cold lips she hesitated for a few moments before putting forward her question. "Jake... why did you blow up the caves?"

She couldn't quite bring herself to ask why he had buried people alive beneath its rubble.

Jake didn't even stumble when she spoke, but she did catch the glint of his eye when he glanced over his shoulder. For a while Sherry didn't think he was going to answer until he lifted his shoulders in a small shrug. "Them or us. They were scavengers, someone had tipped them off about our stash of weapons and they wanted it for themselves."

Sherry pursed her lips, not sure if she felt any better knowing this. Was it worth such a horrible death, just for guns?

"They were... not terrorists exactly," Jake went on, "but they were renowned for getting involved in other people's fights just to pick at the leftovers. Money, goods, women..." his tone turned bitter.

"How is that any different to the Militia you're part of?" Sherry asked innocently before realising the full accusation of her words. Jake stopped midstride, which meant Sherry really did walk face first into his back this time. He turned slowly and fixed Sherry with a strangely blank look. She had expected anger again, that same burning intensity from before... but he just regarded her silently as if contemplating something.

"I've done some questionable things for money," he said slowly, his voice so low it didn't even echo in the now widening tunnel, "but if I'm going to kill a man, I'll do myself. And I don't go looting the goods or raping their women just because I can. I'm not that-" he stopped, taking a short hissing breath before shaking his head a little. Sherry caught the slight tremble of his hand before he clenched it into a fist.

"We're almost there." he finished monotonously. Sherry merely nodded at him weakly, floundering to find something to say. She hadn't meant to imply anything terrible. Perhaps she was still too niaeve to be passing judgements, what did she know of the real world anyway, she thought sourly. Keeping her hand on Jake's back, knowing he'd misread her intentions if she withdrew, Sherry studied the man before her with something other then the tired frustration and impatience she'd felt toward him so far. She could feel her curiosity growing alongside what might have been pity. Maybe she was better off, not knowing the world as he did. Even though he was several years her junior he carried the weight of those two decades of life heavy on his shoulders. She could see the _knowing_, the understanding of the world's darkest corners buried within those frighteningly familiar eyes.

Sherry considered an apology, but somehow she knew Jake neither cared nor needed it. Deciding it was probably best not to go asking anymore awkward questions she simply let him lead her through the darkness until a very dim sliver of light appeared in the distance. A sense of relief overcame her as they neared what she hoped was the exit, the icy floors melting away to form a much safer surface to walk on. Sherry let go of Jake's coat, noting the small glance he shot her as the loss of her touch against his back registered. She tried to smile warmly at him, yet his gaze lasted for too short a time for him to see - or perhaps he had chosen to look away and ignore her.

Her heart fell when she realised the light had come from a flickering flourescent lamp fixed above a heavy looking steel door.

"I thought you said we were almost there!" she whined.

Jake shot her a weary look and began turning the heavy red handle. "We are. We just got to go through the mining shafts and we'll be half a mile from the town."

Feeling slightly better about that Sherry moved to help him with the handle which seemed to have almost frozen shut. It grated against the metal, making Sherry's hair stand on end as the door opened with squeal. Jake paused, sliding his hand forward and tipping his head mockingly. "Ladies first." he crooned.

Sherry walked through the door without hesitation, only to freeze when she spotted what was waiting on the other side. Stood like a frozen statue made of rotting, mismatched flesh was the creature that had chased them through the streets where she'd located Jake. Buzzing around him -it- were a swarm of fly-like beings lit up with an electric blue light emanating from their middle and tails. Jake took her by the shoulder, forcing her onto her knees and behind the cover of a pile of rocks which had crumbled from the wall.

"Shit." he hissed.

Sherry nodded in agreement. "Can we sneak by?" she asked, eyes searching the large room. It consisted of metal poles holding the roof up, a bulldozer that looked in bad shape, and not much else beside empty metal carts. She saw Jake shaking his head from he corner of his eye.

"He's standing right in front of the door we need to get through."

"Can't we go back?"

"I guess we'll have too. Damn it, it'll take hours to go all that way agai-"

His whisper was cut off by a short, sharp ring. Sherry paled as she fumbled for the phone in her pocket. Typical, she thought as the monster in the middle of the room let out a heart-stopping howl. Trust her to get reception back on her phone _now_.

"Too late!" Jake snapped as she disconnected the call, not even looking at the name flashing up at her. Jake had already withdrawn his gun and jumped to his feet, running straight for the charging mass of muscle, metal and torn flesh.

"Jake!" Sherry cried as he slid with ease beneath his feet, firing all the while. His bullets seemed to bounce of his foe like feathers. Sherry, however, was watching the swarm now gathering above them. Raising her gun she fired, taking down each buzzing overgrown fly as they ducked and dived until they littered the icy floor. Jake had already made it to the door, his hand slamming down on the lock. Sherry stared, desolate, as she realised he was going to leave her there...

The door opened... and Jake ran in the opposite direction, still shooting and cursing at the monster on his tail. "Go! Now!" he ordered.

Sherry moved, sprinting for the door while the coast was clear. Reaching it she turned to fire off an assault of her own only to have Jake appear from nowhere beside her and drag her through the doorway. "Keep running!" he demanded, never letting go of her arm.

They moved quickly, hearing the walls crack as their pursuer struggled to force its large body through the doors. Jake stopped, nearly dislocating Sherry's arm from the sudden change in pace as his eyes fell upon a pile of old containers. Without a second to spare he lifted the lid of an empty bin and heaved both their bodies inside, carefully lowering the lid just as thunderous footsteps and a distorted shadow passed them by.

Sherry felt her knees shake as she sat in a crumpled mess, pressed against Jake's body while he waited silently for the footsteps to disappear. Once she realised she had been holding her breath she let it go with a quiet gasp. Jake turned his head to look her over. She seemed fine, just shaken as the adrenaline coursed through her body. He knew how she felt. It'd been a while since he'd had such a rush.

"I think he's gone..." he said cautiously, "But let's give it a few minutes."

Sherry nodded, glad to be able to catch her breath as she brought her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them. They sat in silence until she turned to rest her cheek against her knee and fixed Jake with a look of gratitude. "Thank you." she told him, blue eyes shining in the dim light.

Jake blinked at the her before shrugging. "I've earned my fifty million, wouldn't you say?"

Suppressing the need to roll her eyes Sherry opted for a wry smile. "Maybe..."

Jake smirked. He had the strangest feeling that she was beginning to warm up to him...

* * *

**A/N: Disclaimer: I own no rights to the RE franchise.  
**


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